US Patent 11036085 Optically-calibrated backlight unit internal supports

A backlight unit for a display device comprising a chassis, a reflector affixed to the chassis, optical sheets affixed to the chassis, one or more light emitters affixed to the chassis, and optically-calibrated internal support structures. There is an air gap between the reflector and the optical sheets. The optically-calibrated internal support structures are disposed within the air gap and affixed to the chassis. The optically-calibrated internal support structures are configured to increase rigidity of the chassis, and to substantially not alter the uniformity of light emitted by the one or more light emitters through the optical sheets.